A Cat's Soul
by Tabyk
Summary: Teaser Only - An unusual girl, with an extraordinary past, does everything she can to protect that which is most precious to her...


A Cat's Soul 

All characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku are owned by GAINAX and Yuzo Takada, respectively. This story was written for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

...August 17th, 2015... 

Tears streamed down her face as she frantically dashed down the hallway. Finally reaching the entrance to the men's suiting area she paused only long enough to kick the reinforced door, sending it flying off of its hinges with a metallic scream and crash, before running inside. And through this all, only one thought occupied her mind...

She had to stop him.

Because he was all she had left.

Six more steps and she spotted him still in the process of putting his plugsuit on, his new limbs giving him trouble, even as he turned towards her and the sudden sound. Another five steps and she was able to grab him, almost crushing his body against her own as she cried out, "Ryu! No!"

He struggled a moment, his strength only a tiny fraction of her own, before he finally stopped and held her as she cried. After a long moment she heard him quietly say, "Nuku. I have to go."

"No! You can't go! You'll get hurt again! I won't let you! I won't let you die!"

Holding her tightly now he replied, "I have to go. They might need me. Shinji and Asuka might need help. Nuku... please. I have to help them."

She shook her head, not wanting to hear his words. She couldn't let him go. Not again. She had been so scared, so utterly scared the last time, and he had almost died. She would no let him go again.

"Nuku, you have to understand. If the Angel isn't stopped, a lot more people are going to die. Like... like Mom, and Dad. This has to be done. Please."

He was going to go anyway. She understood, or at least she thought she did, but... but she couldn't let him. She WOULD NOT stand aside and watch the last of her family die.

Looking at him, vision still blurry from her tears, she let go her grip on him and nodded. And he smiled at her, smiled that smile that make her heart ache before giving her another hug saying, "Thank you, Nuku. I'll be careful, I promise."

Again nodding she watched as he turned back towards his locker... before shoving him inside it and slamming the door.

Sparing only a second to smash the lock with her open hand, ensuring that he couldn't get out, she whispered, "I'm sorry Ryu," before she took off running once again.

Ten seconds later and she was bashing her way into the woman's suiting area, where she tore her clothes off and began ripping open lockers one by one, her years of painstaking experience at avoiding accidental property damage gone in an instant. Halfway through the second row the sound of halting footsteps at the entrance made her pause.

Whipping around she found herself facing... Rei? The quiet girl stood there, looking at her a moment, before stepping inside. Approaching a locker that Nuku herself hadn't reached yet she opened it, and withdrew a plugsuit. Then turning towards Nuku she held it out.

Taking a hesitant step towards the first child she gently took the offered item and clutched it a moment before saying, "Thank you." It only took her a few seconds more to climb into it and then press the button that Ryu always did, making it fit right. After that, she again took off running.

Running out into the staging area she didn't even bother with the scaffold elevator, and instead made use of her cyborg body. Three leaps and she was up onto the entry plug platform.

Popping open her external sensors she brought her formidable ECM suite online, intentionally killing the audio and video feeds, as she then climbed inside the entry plug. Sitting down into the only chair available she then waited.

* * *

Inside the control tower Maya paused in her frantic duties as the new Eva Unit 05 suddenly showed an occupancy. Blinking only once she turned and informed Ritsuko, as Misato was already occupied with desperately trying to coordinate the Second and Third Childs attempt at fighting the 14th Angel.

Things were looking grim.

"Dr. Akagi, I'm showing a ready pilot in Eva 05."

"Is it Ryunosuke?" Everyone present could hear the surprise in her voice.

"I... I think so. I'm not getting a video feed, but the entry plug just closed up."

Right then a scream ripped through the room while Misato yelled out, "Asuka!" Everyone watched as Eva 02 was literally cut into pieces.

"Maya, I want you to load Eva 05 to the launch platform right now. We'll start activation on the go." Then under her breath the Doctor added, "Even with only a 29% synchronization rate, the Eva will still move."

Nodding Maya quickly worked the system in front of her, seconds ticking by as she tried to track everything simultaneously, before announcing, "Eva Unit 05, ready for launch."

Glancing over her shoulder to see Misato yelling at Shinji over the comm-line she said, "Begin synchronization, and launch."

Again nodding she began the quick sync program that they'd developed just for such situations, and just as the system came online-

-all hell broke loose.


End file.
